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Exploring the quality of foods from ancient China based on traditional Chinese medicine
Abstract
The functional food industry has been developing rapidly in recent years. Great progress has been made in this industry, especially in the number the claims related and the quality of the functional foods. The most important pharmacological properties of jujube are antidiabetic effects, hypnotic-sedative and anxiolytic effects, neuroprotective activity, sweetness inhibition, anticancer activity, antimicrobial activity, antiulcer activity, antiinflammatory and antispastic effects, antiallergic activity, permeability enhancement activity, cognitive activities, antifertility property, hypotensive and antinephritic effects, cardiovascular activity, immunostimulant effects, antioxidant effects, and wound-healing activity. The lotus has various notable pharmacological activities such as antiischemic, antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, antiobesity, lipolytic, hypocholestermic, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, hypogylcemic, antidiarrheal, antifungal, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, and diuretic activities. Coix is a source of ornamental beads, a stable sustenance, and a productive fodder grass that is increasingly viewed as a potential energy source. Chinese medicine classifies the lily plant as bitter in taste, mild in nature, and beneficial to our hearts and lungs. The flowers are dried and used in cooking stews or soups. The healing properties of lily include moisturizing the lungs, relieving cough from lung dryness, clearing heart fire, and tranquilizing the mind. Dried lily bulbs are commonly used in herbal formulas for promoting lung health; treating yin deficiency of the heart. which manifests as irritability, insomnia, dreaminess, palpitations, and absent-mindedness; promoting vital fluids; and improving the complexion. The most important benefits of the Tremella mushroom are antiaging effects, antiinflammatory effects, decreasing cholesterol, combating obesity, and protecting the nerves, and it may fight cancer. The most powerful nutritional constituents of Tremella are amino acids, vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides, glucomannan 1,3-alpha-glucan, epitope 9beta-D-glucuronosyl, glucuronic acid, glucuronoxylomannan, N-acetylglucosamine, flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, and organic acids. Functional foods are making inroads into Chinese diets with their promises to improve health and nutrition. Chinese consumers should choose nutritional and healthy food to maintain their general health and reduce the risk of health problems.
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Longan is an ever green tree of the Sapindaceae family. Longman fruit is grown commercially in many countries like China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and etc. In China, import of the longan fruit has been increasing in recent years. Longan are demanded in the market in various types such as fresh, dried, frozen and processed. Twelve important compounds longan are (1) β-sitosterol, (2) 2-phenylethanol, (3) 2-methyl-1,10-undecanediol, (4) (24R)-6β-hydroxy-24-ethyl-cholest-4-en-3-one, (4) Oleanolic acid, (5) Pinoresinol, (7) Nicotinic acid, (8) 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, (9) β-daucosterol, (10) 1-O-methyl-D-myo-inositol, (11) Uracil, and (12) Adenosine. The most important antioxidant compounds extract from longan shell are isovanillin, scopoletin, quercetin, hyperin, astragalin, and β-phenylethyl alcohol. The longan is suitable for the tropical zone subtopics in heat season. The flesh fruit is much in juicy, low in acid, high in sugar. Longan fruit has high nutritional and medicinal values and its main functional metabolites include polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids and carotenoids. The functional metabolites provide medicinal, anticancer and antiaging benefits to humans. Longan fruit is used for enhancing memory, promoting blood metabolism, relieving insomnia and preventing amnesia. Its secondary metabolic products have been also shown to have anti-oxidative, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-tyrosinase and immunomodulatory activities. Both longan flowers (long yan hua) and fruit (long yan rou) are used in traditional Chinese medicine and herbal preparations, but the fruit is used much more frequently. Longan contains several vitamins and minerals, including iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium and large amounts of vitamins A and C. In traditional Chinese medicine, longan fruits are considered warm, sweet and astringent. Many parts of the plant are used medicinally including the fruit itself, and dried fruits, relieves anxiety. The leaves are cool the system, and the flowers and seeds aid the kidneys. The roots are used to treat diabetics and to treat gonorrhea. All in all, the most important health benefits of longan are skin care, anti-aging, boosts libido, anti-anxiety, treats insomnia, blood tonic, promotes weight loss, increases energy, controls blood pressure, neuroprotection, strengthens immunity, speeds-up healing, prevents chronic diseases, aids in digestion, improves memory, vision health, useful in treating snake bites, and appropriate in dental care. The obtained findings suggest potential of longan as superfruit and its extract as an additive in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The bioactive compounds and pharmaceutical characteristics of longan should be studied to cosmetic and pharmaceutical products in the future.
Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujube Mill.) and Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) are largely use in traditional Asian medicine because of high nutritional composition. Its fruit is an edible oval drupe 1.5-3 cm long, varying from round to elongate and from cherry-size to plum-size depending on cultivar. The immature fruit is green in color and the fully mature fruit is entirely red. Under dry conditions, jujubes lose moisture, shrivel and become spongy inside. Jujube trees have stronger adaption to various biotic and abiotic stresses, especially salinity and drought. Chinese jujube is grown in temperate regions while Indian jujube is cultivated in hot arid regions of India. Jujube is cultivated from ancient time in China and reported that cultivated for last 5000 years. Chinese jujube is found in subtropics of Asia and largely in China. The jujube leaf, which is the main byproduct of jujube, has also been used in TCM for thousands of year to improve sleep, to nourish the heart and soothe the nerves, and to reduce hemorrhaging and diarrhea. Jujube contains 23 types of amino acids that are not found in most other kinds of fruits, and it has numerous health beneficial so it has famous as traditional and functional Chinese food. The major minerals in jujube is phosphorus, potassium, calcium and manganese. Also, there are also high amounts of sodium, zinc, copper and iron. It has also contains vitamin C, riboflavin and thiamine. Jujube usage in combination with other medicinal herbs and fruits have been used safely and effectively in traditional Chinese medicine for many years for various indications. What is necessary is more and better education on traditional Chinese medicine, fruits and herbs by experts and researchers as well as reasonable regulation by responsible government agencies. The development of a jujube industry will be beneficial in managing salinity and drought which are main challenges facing sustainability of production of this ancient Chinese fruit in the world. Jujube has numerous important pharmacological activities and it can be considered as a valuable source of nutraceuticals.
Oat seed with dormancy characteristics, which can germinate after one season or one year, are used to build and maintain vegetation to protect soils from been damaged by desertification in Northern China. The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of endogenous and exogenous GA 3 and ABA on oat seed (var. Baiyan 7) germination. The results showed that seeds without peel hull had lower endogenous ABA content and the ratio of ABA/GA 3 than seeds with peel hull. The best GA 3 treatment duration for milky ripe, wax ripe, full ripe seeds were 60 min or 120 min, 60 min and 30 min, respectively. Seed germination rate, germination potential and germination index increased before they declined with the increasing of GA 3 concentrations. The best GA 3 concentration treatment was 100 mg/l, while the turning point was 200 mg/l. The dormancy rate of low temperature storage seeds were higher than those of room temperature storage seeds at each storage time, and both decreased with the increase of the storage time. For the seeds which were new or stored for 1-2 months, the germination rates were enhanced significantly by exogenous GA 3. For the seeds that had been stored for over three months, GA 3 treatment had no effect on germination rate. Germination rate decreased with the increase of ABA concentrations. The most inhibitive effect, which leaded to a seed germination reduction by 37.7% and 4.0%, appeared, when the concentration of ABA was 500 mg/L and 1000 mg/l, respectively. GA 3 could abate the effect which ABA inhibited seed germination.
Astragalus is a medicinal herb which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many years. Specifically, the root of the plant is made into many different forms of supplements, including liquid extracts, capsules, powders and teas. Its root contain many active plant compounds, which are believed to be responsible for its potential benefits. Saponins, polysaccharides, amino acids, flavonoids, organic acid, glycosides, alkaloid, and trace elements.In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Astragalus considers to used in the treatment of diabetes, mellitus, nephritis, leukemia, uterine cancer, besides its tonic agent and diuretic effects. Astragalus polysaccharide, the active component extracted from Astragali Radix which is the root of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge. Some uses of Astragalus are in kidney and urinary problems, digestion, liver problems, female reproductive system problems, muscular, skin problems, cardiovascular and blood, immune and lymphatic system, nervous system, respiratory system, and for some specific disease. It helps protect the body against various types of stress such as physical and emotional stress. Astragalus root including anti-aging properties, and also helping to prevent bone loss.It contains Astragalosides (antioxidants), which support the integrity of the respiratory tract. In addition, the polysaccharides found in Astragalus are known for their immune supporting properties. Astragalus herb also supports deep immune function by promoting normal levels of specific immune cells and aids in their function. Astragalus appears especially effective when immune function is stressed by environmental or endogenous challenges.In TCM, huang qi is never administered as a mono drug, but forms part of mixtures depending on the indications. Astragali Radix, the root of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, has been reported to exert hepatoprotective effects, anti-oxidative effects, antiviral activity, anti-oxidative effects, anti-hypertensive effects, and immunostimulant properties; it has also been reported to strengthen superficial resistance, drainage action and new tissue growth. Although, TCM in China is partly integrating with western medicine science, researchers should learn more from TCM and carry out more studies.
Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Nymphaeaceae) known as sacred lotus, is a very unique ornamental plant having multiple medicinal properties. The proximate analysis of rhizome were analysed and the results include moisture (72.14%), starch (10.05), carbohydrates (16.03g), protein (2.6g), fat (0.1g), fibre (3.2g), vitamin C (38mg), calcium (40mg), iron (1.07mg), phosphorus (58mg), potassium (450mg). Major chemical constituents that are present in methanol extract of rhizome were analysed through cold maceration method by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HR-LCMS) techniques. The compounds include: Betulinic acid, Rutin, Isoquercetin, 2R-aminohexadecanoic acid, Phytosphingosine, Sphinganine, Phorbol, Ginkgolide B, Tetrahydroxy-2,6-dimethyl anthroquinone, Pseudouridine, p-Hydroxyphenobarbital, Fluoroacetate, Isoamyl nitrite, Metronidazole, Napthaldehyde, Acetoin. The results showed that bioactive compounds identified by HR-LCMS from rhizome of Nelumbo nucifera have revealed a very good potential to be explored as food supplements or even pharmaceutical products to improve human health.
Sustainability is a long-term and wide-ranging concept that requires producers to look to the future as well as the present, and consider both global and local situations. Cultivation of Chinese medicinal herbs and usage of traditional Chinese medicine significantly helps to promote sustainable agricultural development via growing demand for organic and herbal products in different regions. Chinese medicinal plants, both endemic and widespread, must be preserved since these plants could be renewable source for new drugs. Some advantages of organic farming of medicinal plants are to produce material in optimal quality and sufficient quantity, to protect medicinal plants against pests and disease, to maintain the genetic diversity of medicinal plants, the enhance the biosynthesis of efficacious substances, to increase growth rate and biomass yield of medicinal plants. On the basis of economic prospects, organic farming may lead to increase more market opportunity, to maintain high market price, to achieve optimal quality and economic returns and to secure economic growth and social stability. Traditional Chinese medicine plays an important role in sustainable agriculture and food systems, it also offers a holistic approach to prevent diseases while making appropriate use of organic and herbal products especially growth by small-scale family farmers.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been used as a spice and medicine for over 200 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is an important plant with several medicinal, and nutritional values used in Asian and Chinese Tradition medicine. Ginger and its general compounds such as Fe, Mg, Ca, vitamin C, flavonoids, phenolic compounds (gingerdiol, gingerol, gingerdione and shogaols), sesquiterpenes, paradols has long been used as an herbal medicine to treat various symptoms including vomiting, pain, cold symptoms and it has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-tumour activities, anti-pyretic, anti-platelet, anti-tumourigenic, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant anti-diabetic, anti-clotting and analgesic properties, cardiotonic, cytotoxic. It has been widely used for arthritis,